Bavarois de guindones / Prune bavarois / Merengón / Ice Palace

Airy, foamy, light, and delicate… these are some of the words I can use to describe this dessert. In Peru, it is also known as merengón: a baked meringue, studded with chopped prunes, covered with caramel and always accompanied by some custard on the side. I love this bavarois because it´s so easy to make and always comes out perfect. Only a few tips to get you started:

Use egg whites at room temperature and without any traces of egg yolks.

The bowl of the mixer and the beater should be spotless. Even a minuscule drop of grease can ruin all the dessert.

Whip the egg whites until triple in volume, and firm. Do not let them become grainy

Have the oven ready, and hot water for the water bath or bain marie. Do not use boiling water.

For the custard: never allow the egg yolk–sugar–milk mixture to boil, because the heat will curdle the preparation and you will end up with unappealing sweet scrambled eggs.

In some places, it has more grandiose names, like Ice Palace, but I prefer to simply call it bavarois de guindones, or prune bavarois. The dessert is good enough to stand up for itself.

To make the caramel: Put 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking undisturbed until golden. Pour into a ring mold. Reserve.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Add 10 tablespoons sugar, beating continuously.

Using a spatula, fold the chopped prunes in the meringue. Put in the prepared mold, bake in a water bath or bain marie, for 50 minutes.

Take off the oven, let cool and then refrigerate without unmolding. You can bake it one day in advance and keep in the fridge.

While the bavarois is in the oven, prepare the custard:

Beat egg yolks with 4 tablespoons sugar, add evaporated milk (or Half & Half), and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly thickened. Take off the heat at once and cool. Transfer to a jar or bowl, and keep refrigerated.

To serve:

Unmold the bavarois, and serve it with a little caramel sauce, and with custard. Garnish with prunes.

Merengues are one of my all time favorite desserts, bringing back a very sweet memory of my youth. As decadently delicious as this treat is… I will use the prune as the justification for it being healthy! YUM

I love merengues! They are sweet and light. When I was 7 years old, used to make merengue with a fork! Maybe you won´t believe it, but it worked as a charm, and in a matter of minutes (depending on my enthusiasm with the whisking), adding some sugar and lemon drops, I had my dessert. I loved it.

Yum! This is the first recipe that I’ve seen figs in. I’m not much of a cook, but I do enjoy reading the passion that foodies like you have. Love it! I’m wondering what it tasted like though. Maybe I should make it?

Beautiful, delicious, and super creative recipe plus photos, as usual. But I have to admit, unlike some of your other recipes, I find this one intimidating. I feel merengue is so delicate and I fear I will ruin it.

Yes, meringue can be intimidating, but maybe you have beginners luck! 😉 Just kidding, it’s actually easier than you may think. And if it doesn’t come out perfect the first few times, the only way to learn is to practice!